The Million-Dollar Heart by Rebecca Ryan

Ronald was visibly puzzled as he furrowed his brow and asked, “What do you mean?”

Only Scott, within the entire Brooks family, was privy to his and Lauren’s affair. It wasn’t surprising that Vivienne knew; her sharp intellect made it easy for her to uncover secrets.

But what baffled him were the words that Vivienne had just uttered.

Even if Vivienne could dig up dirt on him and Lauren, she couldn’t possibly understand what kind of person Lauren was. After all, Lauren had passed away years ago. How could Vivienne know what Lauren was like?

Vivienne, hands tucked into the pockets of her jeans, remained cool and aloof. “Did you love her so deeply without knowing that she was a member of an elite special unit?”

“What?” Ronald’s face was a mask of disbelief.

“Lauren joined the unit at sixteen. She completed her education with them, becoming the youngest and most formidable operative they had. At twenty, the unit discovered that GTO was trafficking humans. Since GTO was a major organization, to prevent their operatives from escaping, they sent her undercover.

To infiltrate the GTO effectively, she needed two years at home to shed any trace of being a commando. And since she’d been fond of you since childhood, and you’d never forgotten her, she comfortably spent those two years in a relationship with you.”

Ronald felt like his world was unraveling. He could hardly believe what he was hearing. He looked up at Vivienne, his face a picture of utter confusion.

“Discovering that Scott was Mr. B was an accident. When she found out, she reported it to her command immediately. Scott was on her tail, and her unit took the opportunity to have her penetrate the GTO!”

Scott, bewildered, looked at her, “How do you know all this?”

She didn’t even know Lauren. And even if she had the means to find out about her, how could she so easily uncover a commando, especially an undercover one?

Vivienne massaged her temples, giving him a look that screamed ‘idiot’. “I don’t personally know her, yet I know so much. Guess why?”

Ronald’s mind raced, considering every possibility.

But after dismissing several theories, he suddenly looked up at Vivienne and stood up excitedly. “You knew her!”

Vivienne’s lips curled into a half-smile. “Not too dumb, after all.”

Ronald was speechless, complaining inside, “Just a moment ago, you were praising my intelligence!”

Did I? Must’ve

arm, his voice trembling, “Then she,

Was she really dead?

how devastated he had been upon learning of Lauren’s death. If not for his drive for revenge, he might have

Vivienne stated. “Her mission is complete, and she’s due to be discharged after she returns to

glanced at him coolly. “And in the future, don’t do anything foolish. Those signs you’ve been

to keep an eye on him and to draw

after Percival found F-Poison’s hideout and the signs Ronald left that they concluded he wasn’t a traitor. He

supposed to be foolproof, but

Ronald just naive or

was at a loss for words. He had left those signs to help himself track the enemy, not

today to

Vivienne added, “F-Poison has kept GTO unbreakable. Not even sacrificing the lives of every member of the Brooks family would earn their trust. The

his head.

me no apology,” she said,

a revelation. “The one I’ve been

then added, “But she could be

know how to explain it. It’s like

the bridge of her

been dealing with is F-Poison’s girlfriend, Samantha, and now she’s also F-Poison’s decoy,” Vivienne said with a

rendered

Please, no more insults!

F-Poison’s whereabouts,” said Ronald. “I’ve been in contact with her for a long time. She’s elusive. She seems to love F-Poison, yet she

F-Poison will

she left without

…

the border of Veridia and

a makeshift command center, a man approaching fifty stood with his